


A Perfect Waltz

by sunspot (unavoidedcrisis)



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Dancing Lessons, F/F, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-07
Updated: 2020-09-07
Packaged: 2021-03-07 04:40:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26347234
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unavoidedcrisis/pseuds/sunspot
Summary: Herah learns to dance, with good reason.
Relationships: Female Adaar/Josephine Montilyet
Comments: 20
Kudos: 32
Collections: Black Emporium 2020





	A Perfect Waltz

**Author's Note:**

  * For [tevivinter](https://archiveofourown.org/users/tevivinter/gifts).



Herah walks around Skyhold in the evenings to settle her thoughts before she rests. She leaves her feet in charge and they have a few familiar routes they like to take. More often than not, Herah ends up in Josephine's office.

Tonight, her thoughts are racing ahead of her. Her feet, realizing that her brain's in trouble, march them straight to Josephine for help.

"I was thinking," Herah says, then trails off, watching the ambassador fold a piece of parchment with care and precision. 

Josephine looks up from her paperwork. "Yes?"

"We're going to the Winter Palace soon." It's been the only thing on her mind all day.

"Yes, Inquisitor. A week tomorrow."

"I'm terrified, truly, I am. Can I please go back into the Fade again?" Herah sets herself down on the couch in front of the fireplace. It groans in protest under her powerful frame.

"I'm afraid not," says Josephine. "But is there perhaps something we could work on together to put your mind more at ease instead?"

"No. Maybe. How many fork names will I have to memorize? I think I'd rather fight a pride demon."

Josephine stands and crosses the office, skirts swishing. "We'll skip forks for this evening." She holds out her hand to Herah. "The waltz, I think."

"Dancing?" Herah asks, eyeing Josephine's hand. She wants to take it, of course, but that's more of a general, all the time sort of feeling about Josephine's hands. Dancing lessons are not something Herah ever thought she'd be having to face.

"Yes. If you do bungle the forks early in the evening, but then show off a flawless waltz, you'll have half the court baffled and the other half will be eating out of your hand. Come, let me show you how it's done."

Herah's mind sputters to a stop briefly. This is Josephine, who Herah has admired since the day they met. Josephine who smells like a heady mix of lilacs, candle wax, and soap. Josephine has better things to do than to hear and be forced by her incredibly good manners to reply to Herah's confessions of love. Josephine, asking her to dance…

Herah knows she's got to learn, but she was hoping maybe she'd read a book or something. Maker, her heart's not going to be able to take the stress.

Josephine is still looking on expectantly, hand outstretched. When Herah takes it, Josephine beams. "Good, good."

She rearranges their hands and tucks herself against Herah's chest.

Herah's heart is pounding -- nerves, excitement, a little bit terrified she won't be able to remember the steps or she'll step in Josephine's feet. And Josephine's hair smells so good, it's distracting. 

"Step forward with your left foot, good, now to the right with your other foot, nicely done, and now bring your left foot -- left foot -- to be beside your right foot. You're getting it!"

Herah feels like she absolutely wasn't getting it, but Josephine is still trying to help and hasn't given up entirely, so she'll keep trying. 

There's no music, but Josephine hums a little song as they practice on. Herah doesn't step on anyone's feet, even her own, and at the end of an hour, Josephine is beaming. Herah wants so badly to kiss her.

"Josephine?" she asks. 

"Hmm? Oh, Inquisitor! It's getting so late! I didn't mean to keep you. Please, go, get some rest!"

It would have been the perfect moment, but now Herah's been sent off to bed. 

"Thank you," she says from the doorway. Josephine just smiles.

* * *

The Winter Palace, plainly put, is bedlam. Herah does not have a good time.

"Inquisitor Herah."

She turns to see Josephine, standing in the doorway to the balcony, somehow making the red jacket look so, so good.

"I'm sorry it all went sideways, Josephine."

"Nonsense. This has been a perfectly normal event for Halamshiral." Josephine comes lean on the railing next to her and they stand in companionable silence, looking out over the gardens.

Herah soaks up Josephine's presence like a sponge, feeling herself relax. Bedlam is putting it mildly. The entire evening had been bullshit.

"May I…" 

Herah turns to Josephine curiously. It's unlike the ambassador to run out of words, ever.

"May I have this dance, Inquisitor?"

"Herah," she blurts out. She is sick of the title, especially coming from Josephine. She just wants to be Herah again.

"Ah, of course. Herah. Would you like to dance?"

Herah wipes her hands on her trousers, as surreptitiously as she can, and takes the proffered hand. Her memory flashes back momentarily to the office and she reminds herself she's survived dancing with Josephine without embarrassing herself before.

Josephine leads Herah into a waltz, just like their lesson, and Herah finds she's actually keeping up.

"Perfect," Josephine says in a whisper.

"Is this the part where everyone sees us and are flabbergasted that the giant Qunari can actually dance a waltz."

"A _perfect_ waltz," Josephine corrects. "And no, the waltz has been out of favour for more than a few years. But it's my favourite."

Herah's thinking maybe she's putting things together that don't need to be, making up a story in her head that's not true, but then Josephine draws their clasped hands in. She kisses the back of Herah's hand, so gently Herah could have ignored it if she wanted to.

Josephine steals a glance up to meet Herah's eyes. Herah tries to school her expression into something besides giddy, but it's difficult.

"I wanted to," Herah says. "Kiss you, that is. Last time we danced."

"Did you?" Josephine's voice comes out loud. She immediately quiets down and repeats herself. "Did you really?"

Herah leans down and kisses her, laughing and pulling away when Josephine squeezes her hand.

"Why did we wait so long?" Josephine asks.

Herah's not sure, but she's not one to dwell on past mistakes. She twirls Josephine in her arms, surprising a bright, clear laugh from her.

"Well, let's not waste any more time," she suggests.


End file.
